Racing: Visitor made most of her opportunity

Blood Brotha scooted away from his rivals in the NZ Cup at Riccarton on Saturday. Photo / Getty Images

It would be easy to write off Zennista's narrow group three win in the Stella Artois Tauranga Stakes on Saturday as circumstantial.

Hot-pot runner-up Veyron lost crucial lengths at the start and group one champ Mufhasa is never as lethal on rain-affected ground, or racing the right-hand way round.

But Zennista's Awapuni trainer Lisa Latta said yesterday that she believes the best is yet to come for her unsung five-year-old mare who notched her sixth win from a bumpy 26-start career.

She'll get her next chance to boost her already considerable stud value in the weight-for-age Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) at Trentham on December 8. It's a track she loves and Latta is dodging handicaps now she's at a tough position in the weights.

But it's when Zennista gets back up over 2000m and beyond that Latta believes you'll really start to see her group one worth again.

Don't forget this is a mare who ran a gutsy second to Midnight Oil in the 2011 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) before a bleeding issue. "I think she'll pick up a big one, I really do," said Latta. "All she needs is better tracks and more ground.

"She's been a mare with a few problems and it's taken us a while to work her out but we've finally found the key.

"She doesn't gallop a lot - hardly at all - but she's best when she's kept in work."

Safely through her Trentham assignment, Latta said she'll set the Zenno Rob Roy mare for the summer's rich 2000m weight-for-age circuit, including the Zabeel Classic at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.